Abstract: The root system and rhizoma of zizania (Zizania caduciflora), a perennial plant that grows in the swamp, lake and river side, could twine each other tightly composing a thick mat after along living time, and it always floats on the water when flood occurs. Ancient Chinese farmers took this zizania mat as a floating-field. Rice plants grown on this mat need not irrigating or drainage, and no more be afraid of being dried up or submerged by flood. Growing rice on the floating-field has been practiced at least for more than 1600 years in South China, it was very popular since Tang and Song Dynasty (from 7th to 13th centuries). Because of a rapid increase of population in South China thereafter, the habitat that zizania grown had broken-down quickly by openning up cultivated land along the edge of lakes and rivers. This made the use of floating-field gradually decreased and vanished after all.

Key words: Zizania, Rice, Floating-field, Agricultural history, Growing Rice on the Floating-Field

摘要： 本文扼要叙述中国古代利用葑田进行水面种稻的情况。葑是菰的根系和茎多年聚结起来的“板块”,能浮于水面,古代农民用木头做成框架,上置葑块,称为葑田,又名架田,用以种稻。其优点是可以随水位高低生长,既不怕旱,又不怕涝,兼省排灌之力。葑田在中国至少有1600多年的历史,唐宋时颇为流行,遍及江南各地江河湖泊沼泽之区。后因人口增加,适于菰草生长的生境遭到破坏,葑田的利用渐趋消失,南方一些地方改用芦苇编制成筏,用来种植蕹菜(空心菜),沿用至今。墨西哥有浮田,上种蔬菜和玉米,称Chinampas,表明可能由中国传去。

关键词: 菰, 水稻, 葑田, 农史, 水面种稻